Namibian visit

Also in 2008, the Council received an invitation from the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) to attend and make a presentation at their national consultative workshop on the Police and Correctional Services Labour Relations in Namibia. The aim of the workshop was to explore the possibilities of establishing a trade union organisation for the Namibian Police Force and the Prison and Correctional Services. The South African Police Services and the Police and Prison Civil Rights Union were also invited to give presentations at the workshop.

April 2008

Study visit by Kenyan Police delegation

Following the participation of the SSSBC in the ILO Sub-Regional Seminar on Enhancing Management–Trade Union relations in the police services of East Africa, the SSSBC was requested by the ILO to host a delegation from the Kenyan Police and Trade Unions for a study visit. The study visit took place in April 2008.

The purpose of the study visit was for the Kenyan delegation to observe the manner in which the SSSBC conducts its affairs as part of the appeal process. It was noted that the delegation comprised the bench hearing the appeal, the appellants, the respondents, an interested party and an observer from the employer’s organisation who would become a friend of the court and report on what has been observed during the study visit.

As part of the study visit, the delegation attended Council meetings and held separate meetings with the leadership of the South African Police Service (SAPS), the South African Police Union (SAPU) and the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU). During these meetings, the delegation was informed on labour relations protocol, the formation of trade unions and collective bargaining in the South African Police Service. The delegation was also taken on a tour to historical places in Soweto.

COTU indicated that they were satisfied with what they had observed and learnt, and believed that there was no need to look further than South Africa for a working example. They indicated that they hoped that the experience the delegation had gained during the visit would assist the court to make a just decision and uphold industrial justice in Kenya. He pointed out that the presentations from the parties to the SSSBC were enough to convince the employer in Kenya that the South African model of social dialogue could work well between organised labour and the employer in the Kenyan police.